Kids & Teens

The New Old Me

My Late-life Reinvention

Turning 60 and beginning again can be daunting, especially in the midst of serious personal events. Book critic and author (Why We Write About Ourselves) Maran reinvented herself at just this turning point, after a painful breakup with her wife, the death of a close friend, and harsh financial setbacks. Leaving home, friends, and a freelance writing career behind, she moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles to begin a nine-to-five life out of necessity. What followed were struggles with housing, money, work culture, and the eccentricities of her youth-oriented new city. Her loneliness was pervasive and intensified. Through honest and vividly drawn scenes, she shares her grief and challenges. However, she artfully balances this with humor and keen perspective, and what emerges is another side to her story, one of resilient courage as she embraces her new surroundings with an open mind, reaches out to make new friends, rekindles her creative self, and re-enters the dating scene. A unifying, inspiring, and universal theme builds throughout: despite age and circumstances, it is never too late to start anew.